Memphis store clerk convicted for shooting beer thief's helper

A Frayser convenience store clerk who shot and wounded a beer thief's partner last year was convicted Friday on a reduced charge of reckless aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Ahmed Said, a native of Ethiopia, told the Criminal Court jury he fired one shot outside the store because he believed the victim also had a gun.

State prosecutor Rachel Russell said the shooting occurred around 2 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2011, at the BP station in the 3500 block of James Road after Taylor McPeak ran out of the store with an 18-pack of Bud Light.

When McPeak tried to toss the beer into the back of his pickup, he missed and a companion, Timothy Greenman, jumped out and hastily began picking up the beer cans.

Said fired one shot from about eight feet away, striking Greenman with a bullet in the lower back that exited his side. McPeak and Greenman said they had no gun.

On the witness stand this week, Greenman said "the events of that night are a blank to me."

Defense attorney Andrew Bender questioned him about a civil suit he filed against Said and the BP.

Bender: "Are you trying to get lucky and make some money out of this?"

Greenman: "I have medical bills" of $300,000.

McPeak, 21, who has a series of other unrelated cases, pleaded guilty earlier to theft of property in the beer heist. Greenman, 23, of Atoka, testified that he had theft and burglary convictions from Tipton County.

Said, 28, who remains free on bond, faces two to four years in prison when he is sentenced next month by Judge James Beasley Jr.

He also could apply for judicial diversion, a form of probation that could lead to removing the felony conviction from his record. A felony conviction could jeopardize his residency status in this country.

Bender said Said, 28, who has a wife and two children here, lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for 10 years before coming to the United States about six years ago. He has no prior criminal record.